Strategies@work Podcast

The four basic business skills are recognizing and embracing the metanarrative, using C4 to find each individual’s role, strategically aligning the organization to fulfill its role in the metanarrative, and tactically aligning each individual to fulfill his or her role in the organization. Practicing these basic skills will help bring organizations and individuals into alignment with the will and ways of God. The fruit of this alignment will be provision (profit) because God always funds his will done his ways.

Gleanings - June 2013

To operate a profitable organization, the organization must first be based on biblical principles. The organization’s management team and its workers must be wise, faithful, diligent students of Scripture. They must receive teaching by godly people in order to mature and grow in their understanding of Scripture. This will enable the organization to align with the will and ways of God and therefore prosper. The tangible evidence of true prosperity is an organization that grows at a healthy pace, enjoys favor in the delivery of its value proposition, develops a stable life-giving culture, builds an outstanding reputation, and reaps financial profit.

Gleanings - May 2013

Work is a primary venue for people to fulfill their purpose in life consistent with the meta-narrative. Organizations are vehicles that provide workers a context in which to perform their work. Both people and organizations find their purposes and destinies by fulfilling their roles in the meta-narrative. Secondarily, work provides opportunities to bless others with employment, provision, and wealth accumulation. In addition, work is a venue for serving others and challenges us to think about the greater good of society.

Gleanings - April 2013

Common business knowledge is generally based on what is known as best practices. Best practices are normally gleaned by analyzing case studies using rational empirical pragmatism. This is a naturalistic approach, which excludes God in the development of business knowledge. Don’t be deceived into thinking that business knowledge exists independent of God. To develop a sound understanding of business knowledge, one must begin with Christ. Rational empirical pragmatism can be a helpful tool only if it is subordinated to Christ as the repository of all wisdom and knowledge. The true best practices in business are those aligned with the will and ways of God. These practices are found in Scripture and in Creation as illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

Gleanings - March 2013

Money is a tool to do God's will according to God's ways. This means that money should be used to acquire true riches—eternal wealth. Therefore, organizations must seek clarity from the Lord on how to properly steward their resources in alignment with the will and ways of God. Likewise managers should seek to help workers learn to live accordingly. If individual workers are not properly stewarding their own financial resources, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the workers to steward organizational resources according to the will and ways of God. Astute organizational stewardship begins with adroit individual stewardship.

Gleanings - February 2013

Money is not the definition of success, significance, and security. Money is simply a tool to do the will of God according to the ways of God. This means that money should be used to gain true wealth, which is characterized by obedience, righteousness, and wisdom. Always sacrifice money for true wealth, which is tantamount to alignment with the will and ways of God. Inculcate this philosophy into your organization. Demonstrate through words and actions that the true bottom line is not material wealth (money) but true wealth (alignment with the will and ways of God). As an organization, make wise choices based on gaining true wealth. Help each worker learn to use money as a tool to do the will of God according to the ways of God.

Gleanings - January 2013

Gleanings - December 2012

Develop a culture in your organization focused on learning and practicing a biblical worldview of work. This is the only correct worldview and the only worldview that is consistent with Christ. Everyone in the organization needs to be challenged to learn and grow in a biblical worldview of work. Anyone who does not engage in the organization’s culture must be released. Remember, the mandate of business is first and foremost to reflect Christ and secondarily to make money.

Gleanings - November 2012

Don’t start an organization for the purpose of seeking glory, fortune, influence, or independence. Motive is very important to God. The only right motive is to build according to the will and ways of God. Before starting any organization, humbly seek the Lord to discern his will. Make it your agenda to always seek to discern the will and ways of God and then align yourself accordingly. His will and his ways are discerned best by following the teaching of Scripture. There is no other foundation on which to build successful organizations.

Gleanings - October 2012

It is unclear how effectively a person can build an organization with people living in rebellion against God and functioning on common grace. But we know there is a limit. A wiser way to build organizations is to build with people who are living under the grace of Christ. These people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey God’s will and ways and therefore will enjoy the blessings that flow from obedience. Wise managers recognize their responsibility to build multi-generationally and will not seek to build with people living under the limitations of common grace. Rather they will seek to build with people living according to the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gleanings - September 2012